Tiger School
The Forest of Roaring Tigers '(森の轟然虎, ''Mori no Gōzen Tora), mostly known by its simplified name the '''Tiger School (虎派, Toraha) is a martial arts institution situated on Earth. It is one of the Twelve Zodiac Academies, a group of twelve rival martial arts schools whose styles are based on animals from the Chinese zodiac. The Tiger School is believed to be the strongest of the group with its style being renowned around the Northern Continent and the world. Because of its status, the Tiger School has garnered its fair share of enmity since its establishment, having been involved in conflicts with numerous other schools. The primary rival of the Tiger School is the Dragon School, a fellow Zodiac Academy. The rivalry between the Dragon and Tiger Schools dates back hundreds of years, the founders of the respective schools having been rivals in their youth before their founding. Like many martial arts schools in the world, the Tiger School has many martial artists who have developed their own individual specialties and techniques outside of the school's fighting style. Some martial artists join the school for the purpose of enhancing their own already existent abilities rather than obtaining new ones. The school itself is situated in the forest surrounding the metropolis of North City. History Founding & Great Dōjō War The Tiger School was founded nearly three hundred years ago by its First Grandmaster who was a young man at the time. After mirroring the movements of wild tigers, the First Grandmaster created the Tiger Style. During his time, the world was known to be lawless and chaotic. The villages of his land were plagued by the constant threat of pillagers. Originally, the First Grandmaster opened the Tiger School as a shelter for those who sought protection from the anarchy that was the outside world. He began teaching his new style to those who sought refuge with him and continued to expand the school from there. The formation of other eleven Zodiac Academies, however, would prompt the Tiger School out of its peaceful behavior and into near militaristic conflict. After the death of the First Grandmaster's own master, who also taught the founders of the other Zodiac Academies, the Twelve Zodiac Academies began behaving antagonistically towards one another. In an attempt to prevent war between the factions, as he knew how devastating such a conflict could be to civilian territory, the First Grandmaster of the Tiger School took on the role of a mediator. Unfortunately, his attempts would fail as the fighting between the institutions would ignite regardless. The Great Dōjō War (道場大戦, Dōjō Taisen), as the resulting battles between the Twelve Zodiac Academies would come to be known, was a strife to determine the inheritance of the Bujinkatagi - a spiritual object that granted whoever bore it with enhanced strength. While ten of the twelve Zodiac Academies fought themselves into submission, the battles between Tiger School and the Dragon School almost always resulted in stalemate. In order to bring the war to an end, the grandmasters of both the Tiger School and the Dragon School organized the tournament - the winning school gaining possession of the Bujinkatagi. Historically, this tournament has come to be known as the Spirit of True Warriors Tournament, named for the object the Twelve Zodiac Academies fought over. The outcome of this tournament remains obscure. Rivalry with Dragon School The rivalry between the Dragon School and Tiger School, according to many, is a physical representation of ancient astrology - the tiger and the dragon being two creatures destined to quarrel due to their immense strength. Not long after their establishment, the fighting styles of the Tiger and Dragon Schools both became feared throughout the land. Martial artist from the Tiger School were revered as determined and relentless fighters while those of the Dragon School were identified as merciless and overwhelming. Naturally, both styles began to strife for the title of the best as neither were keen on accepting second place. In order to increase entertainment value, tournament organizers would tend to invite martial artists from both schools to guarantee a turnout of good fights. As time moved forward, the rivalry between the Tiger and Dragon Schools became bitter. As the Tiger School became more respected for their "orthodox" methods of fighting and training, the Dragon School began to envy their rivals for their fighting style wasn't receiving the attention that it deserved. Incidents began to occur which members of the Dragon School would ambush members of the Tiger School unprovoked. Thirty years ago, tensions between the schools boiled to a point which war was believed to be a certainty. Fortunately, intervention from mediating powers prevented bloodshed from erupting between the two schools. However, due to the impending threat that both schools posed, sanctions were taken against them to prevent similar incidents from taking place again. Since the cold war between them ended, the rivalry between the Tiger and Dragon Schools has far from died down. The years following the end of the cold war between the schools consisted of heated battles between their members whenever they were able to cross path. Even though members from both schools were killed in fights with each other, neither school decided to react with an all out assault in fear of more sanctions. After his promotion to the rank of grandmaster, Averel made efforts to correct the relationship with the rival Dragon School. While his efforts were largely unsuccessfully, he managed to stabilize the tension with his various negotiations with the leadership of the Dragon School, preventing further major conflicts from occurring. Contemporary era The reign of the school's latest grandmaster, Averel, began nearly twenty years ago after the previous grandmaster stepped down. Upon gaining leadership of the school, Averel made it his aspiration to restore the school to its former glory - the Tiger School having lost its notoriety in the years prior to his being elected grandmaster. As his first order of business, Averel reformed the teaching system at the school - emphasizing teamwork and cooperation as a means of properly educating disciples. He also encouraged members of the school to engage in community work to reinstate its positive reputation, increasing donations to the school and funds. New areas of the school were constructed, the expansion administered by Averel being the first one in over half a century as well as being the largest school's hisory. Certain areas of the school, such as the mess hall and dormitories, were also remodeled and expanded to accomodate the school's ever growing membership population. Additional training areas, including several outdoor fields, were added along with waterfall, river, and forest training zones. The presence of the Tiger School at various martial arts events has also steadily increased over the course of the last two decades. Since tournaments were the primary venue for martial artist of the school to display their skills, Averel felt it necessary to place his fighters in the spotlight as often as possible. The number of appearances by the school in the World Martial Arts Tournament has skyrocketed, at least one member from the school competing every year. Competition has become a method of self-expression for Tiger School martial artist, their frequency in various martial arts events giving them both exposure and a chance to exercise their abilities. Age old rivalries have also been rekindled the school's revival in the martial arts community - the other eleven Zodiac Academies also reinventing themselves to match the revamped Tiger School. Teachings and Traditions Test of Worthiness The Test of Worthiness is an examination given to all new recruits of the Tiger School. The purpose of the examination is to see if the recruit would fit in at the Tiger School and to observe their potential as a martial artist. The test is administered by the grand master of the Tiger School himself along with three masters of the school. After the exam, the grand master will consult with the master-ranked martial artists who will then vote on whether or not the recruit will gain admittance into the Tiger School. At least three out of four votes are required for the recruit to pass the test and be accepted as a member of the Tiger School. Normally, the examination consists of a duel against an already instated Tiger School member, but instances of other methods of examination have been recorded throughout the school's history. Rank Advancement Assessment A common practice among modern martial arts schools, the Tiger School hosts it own examinations to determine whether or not a martial artist is eligible to move up in rank. These assessments are administered in correspondence to the rank which a participating martial artist is trying to achieve. For example, an assessment for the rank of expert won't be as difficult as an assessment for the rank of master. Similar ot the Test of Worthiness, rank advancement assessments can be heavily varied. No matter the differences between assessments, however, they are constructed to compare a martial artist's current power level with that of the rank which they are trying for. Mantra Strength The Tiger School is hailed as one of the strongest martial arts institutions on the Northern Continent. Having been founded by a member of the Jūnimeishu, twelve of the strongest martial artists to ever exist, the school's reputation can even be linked to numerous legends and myths. Because of its age, the Tiger School has developed a definite legacy within the martial arts community of both the world and the Northern Continent. Throughout the course of its existence, well over thousands of martial artists have trained within its halls. Even during its crippled state, the Tiger School was seen as a model for other schools - the eleven zodiac academies even revamping themselves to match the rebuilding Tiger School out of fear. The skills of the Tiger School members also appear to be diverse. While most members have knowledge of the schools fighting style, there are many who hone their own individual talents as well. All forms of combat, even magic and the ninja arts, are welcomed within the Tiger School and are also widely practiced by a plethora of its members. Because of its welcoming attitude towards alternate forms of combat and martial arts, the Tiger School has attracted many fighters. As of Age 749, there are 350 members of the Tiger School which, according to the Martial Arts Alliance, is among the fewest the school has ever had. Uniform The uniform of the Tiger School is that of a gi, a uniform worn by most that perform martial arts. The gi worn by the members of the Tiger School tend to vary, but each variation holds similarites. For instance, each gi dons a combination one of at least two of the school's colors - orange, white, or black. Another identifying characteristic that all gi of the Tiger School share is the tiger stripe patterns that can be found on either the pants leg, sleeves, shoulders, or around the torso. Common color combinations of gi found at the Tiger School include predominantly orange gi with black stripes, black gi with orange stripes, and white gi with black stripes. Building The architecture of the Tiger School is Japanese, the building itself resembling a large Buddhist temple. The exterior of the building is designed according to the school's colors. The walls are painted orange with dark blue trim while the roof is colored dark blue with an orange trim. Besides the school's main building, known as the main hall, there are two additional buildings attached to it. The building to the left of the main hall is the mess hall, where all of the members of the Tiger School, while the building to the right consists of the dormitories, where the members of the school sleep. A dojo can be found within the main hall, there, classes led by the grand master himself are often held. Behind the school's buildings is where the outdoor training facilities can be found. The two outdoor training areas of the Tiger School consist of a simple, grassy field with practice dummies scattered about and a small forested area with a man made waterfall located within the center. The training facilities of the Tiger School are designed to compensate for its large amount of students. Located in the center of the school's backyard, in between its outdoor training areas, is a small stadium where sparring matches are frequently held amongst students. Fighting Style The Tiger Style (虎式, Torashiki) is the fighting style practiced by the Tiger School. Its techniques revolve around utilizing the hunting tactics, movements, and characteristics of tigers. The style itself was invented by the First Grandmaster who went on to later find the school. Strength and grappling are the main focus of the style, holds being used to subdue opponents frequently. While it is a phyiscal-based style, there are a few powerful supernatural techniques that are utilized by its masters. Members The Tiger School, being hundreds of years old, has served as a place of training for many martial artists - the total number estimated to be well in the thousands. However, this is not a reflection of the school's current strength. As with all other organizations, members come and go constantly within the Tiger School. According to the reports of the Martial Arts Union, the governing body of the martial arts community, the current membership of the Tiger School stands at 350 - the smallest it has ever been since the its foundation. Despite their lack of numbers, however, the Tiger School has proven that it still possesses a considerable amount of might. Trivia *The idea to create a martial arts school with a name derived from that of an animal is a nod to the infamous Turtle School from Dragon Ball. *The Tiger School's intense rivalry with the Dragon School relates to the Chinese zodiac in which the tiger and the dragon are destined to be rivals as they are considered the strongest. **As another nod to Dragon Ball, the rivalry between the Dragon School and the Tiger School also bars similarites to the rivalry between the Turtle and Crane Schools. *The Tiger School, as well as other martial arts schools featured in the series, operate like Guilds in some aspects. Category:Steven-Kun Category:Martial Arts Schools Category:Organizations Category:Bujinkatagi Shingen